Bringing Russian and American citizens together in Peace since 1983.
Dear CCI Friends,
In my opinion, the most succinct article written about the current Ukraine crisis and its resolution is below. Read it to understand how the United States (and Russia) must deal with the situation to avoid grave calamities including a nuclear war.
Please share your comments with us. We can use them to add more weight to Ambassador Hunter’s succinct diagnosis/prognosis offered below.
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
In calls with investors, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin boasted that the worsening conflict is helping profits.
In These Times
January 27, 2022
By Sarah Lazare
As the United States weighs more involvement in the growing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, some of the largest weapons companies in the world — Raytheon and Lockheed Martin — are openly telling their investors that tensions between the countries are good for business. And General Dynamics, meanwhile, is boasting about the past returns the company has seen as a result of such disputes.
The statements come as the U.S. government escalates arms shipments to Ukraine, among them the Javelin missiles that are a joint venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. House Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to quickly push through a bill that would significantly increase U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, and impose new sanctions on Russia.
Anti-war campaigners warn that U.S. escalation, amid renewed tensions between Ukraine and Russia, could bring dire consequences, and spill into a much larger and more protracted war. “As we are shipping advanced weaponry to the Ukrainian military, the Biden administration has signaled that U.S. military advisors will continue to stay in the country,” Cavan Kharrazian, progressive foreign policy campaigner for the advocacy organization Demand Progress, tells In These Times. “Who will most likely set up and teach the Ukrainian army how to use these weapons systems? The U.S. military.”
Among those openly discussing the boon to profits is Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes. During a January 25 appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” he was asked, “Do we have anything that would make it so if you inserted 8,000 American soldiers into Ukraine, they can stop 103,000 Russian soldiers?”
Dear CCI Friends,
Jack Matlock, America’s quintessential Ambassador, gave a historic video interview on February 4th, which I prepared for our readers to watch. Belatedly I don’t remember it going out? On checking, apparently I didn’t send it to you … a big mistake! The interview is full of historic memory of those events when Mikhail Gorbachev was assured that NATO wouldn’t move further than East Germany. Looking back, Jack provides answers for what is happening to this very day.
Watch the video below to experience Jack Matlock discussing how history has moved forward:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPuIfiAeXsw
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
Fyi, February 4th was also my daughter’s birthday, I may have been preoccupied with family events that day.
Dear CCI Friends,
The largest, most audacious release of information ever, came from China and Russia as Putin and Xi issued their statement about world governance at the end of the Winter Games in China. Within hours it was attacked by Western leaders.
It is important to read the original statement before jumping to conclusions. I read hastily and took off for a hospital (in snow and slush) to get the latest regarding vaccine information to share with CCI travelers. Returning home three hours later, I Googled the statement to find a dozen irate reactions already online. I finally digested them all. In case you haven’t read the original, it follows:
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
Dear CCI Readers,
A lot of Americans are beginning to speak their own truth today, due to Washington presenting one-way options leading to additional wars, which no one needs.
Unfortunately, many good Americans leave politics and international challenges up to the political party to which they belong. I have been a Democrat all of my life; but a couple of elections back I knew too much from direct experience. I could no longer vote with my party. Never voting Republican, I wrote in names of candidates I wished would be running. Did I lose my vote? Maybe, that’s one way to look at it. But I prefer to vote the direction I know would be better for my country and the world … and then try to educate myself and others on the issues.
Consider citizen Rich Scheck’s words below.
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives